Scenic coastal beaches, towering stands of ancient firs, spruce and cedars, and the mysterious rain forests top the list of natural wonders found on the western side of the peninsula. With business names such as Zany Zebra and Wacky Warehouse, you might expect Pacific Beach, just north of Ocean Shores, to be more like a carnival than what it is -- a lazy, kick-back ocean resort town with a serious interest in kite-flying. The little town also has Pacific Beach Resort on one of the finest pieces of beachfront property on the Washington Coast. Information: www.pacificbeachwa.com.

About 30 miles of flat, sandy beach stretch between Ocean Shores on the south, north to Pacific Beach, Moclips and Taholah on the Quinault Indian Reservation. Farther north, rugged shores and the gigantic rocks of Ruby Beach and a series of numbered beaches near Kalaloch make wonderful photographic subjects. Kalaloch Lodge and the scenic, accessible Pacific Ocean beaches nearby make up one of the most relaxing destinations on the coast. Veg out in one of the 20 bluff cabins at the lodge and pray for it to quit raining (just up the road, it rains more than 100 inches per year). There's also a popular campground nearby that sits on a low bluff a short walk from a spectacular ocean beach. Kalaloch Lodge: 866-525-2562. www.olympicnationalparks.com

Like few places on Earth, when you drive the Upper Hoh Road that heads east from U.S. 101 about 13 miles south of Forks, you move from a marine coastal environment to a completely different ecosystem, and one of the most unusual occurrences in nature -- the Hoh Rain Forest -- all in a matter of 19 short miles. The rain forest, just south of Forks and east of Route 101, has always been mystifying. To some tourists, the giant moss-covered trees probably look as if they're from another planet. Several nature trails and guided tours from the interpretive center make every visit a well-rounded mini-adventure. See website

The Hoh, Bogachiel and Sol Duc rivers that flow from the Olympics to the Pacific Ocean are among the state's best steelhead and salmon streams.

For years, a popular accommodation near the ocean is the historic Lake Quinault Lodge visited by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1937. 800-562-6672; www.olympicnationalparks.com

Farther south, the Westport Maritime Museum is home to a giant gray whale skeleton, as well as the Destruction Island Lighthouse lens. Hours: daily 10 a.m.-4 p.m., April -September. Noon-4 p.m. the rest of the year. 360-268-0078; westportwa.com/museum

To the north and west, the Makah Museum at Neah Bay, 70 miles west of Port Angeles via state Route 112, traces the history of the "People of the Cape," who have lived in the area for more than 2,000 years. $5, $4 students and seniors 62-plus, free for children under 6. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. 360-645-2711; www.makah.com/mcrchome.html.

The dramatic ocean ecology of Cape Alava, one of the northernmost ocean camping areas in Olympic National Park, makes it one of the better postcard destinations in the Northwest. The trailhead is at Ozette Lake, just west of Clallam Bay. Watch your step -- the three-mile trail is mostly made of cedar puncheon walkways and, because of the constant moisture, it never really dries out, meaning its slippery.

Just north of La Push, Rialto Beach is the northernmost beach that can be reached by car. Be advised: the parking lot usually fills up by noon in summer.